Flamingo Gardens made a big impact in 2023 with the most visitors and the most animals rescued in our 97-year history. The work of our Volunteers and the opening of our new Butterfly Conservatory helped expand our Environmental Conservation impact even more!
Environmental Education:
249,415 guests, almost a quarter million people, visited Flamingo Gardens in 2023. Of that total, 44,904 children and adult participants attended fieldtrips and other educational classes through our Education Department. 15,579 Title 1 school or special needs children received free or discounted educational programming through grant support. 5,979 Title 1 Pre-k or Kindergarten children received free educational classes at their schools and/or free fieldtrips to the Gardens through our On the Road program. 505 low income or special needs children and their family members received free entry and educational programming through 12 Community Access Days.
Wildlife Conservation:
Our Animal Care team cared for 1,605 rescued animals, representing over 90 species this year! This includes just over 300 permanently injured and/or non-releasable birds and animals that make Flamingo Gardens their permanent home now. 1,305 rescued birds and animals were brought to us for rehabilitation in 2023, and thus far over 350 of them have been released back to the wild.
Botanical Conservation:
341 plants were added to our collections in 2023, representing 198 species. This includes 147 orchids added and cared for by our Orchidteers volunteer group. Our Horticulture Department opened the new Butterfly Conservatory in March of 2023, and the Horticulture team, with assistance from Education staff and the Eco-teers volunteer group, raised and released 8,613 native butterflies into the Gardens.
Environmental Conservation:
487 volunteers donated over 26,000 hours of their time in 6,196 separate visits to help Flamingo Gardens provide environmental education to the public through their service, whether it be as a docent at the Wray Home Museum, greeting guests, helping at an event, or preparing meals for the animals. The Eco-teer volunteers helped to plant 1,030 trees to remove carbon from the air and 9,004 sea oats to protect our shores. They also removed 536 lbs. of trash from our beaches and waterways, and 443 lbs. of invasive plants from parks.
We couldn’t have done it without you! Flamingo Gardens appreciate all of you that donated time and money in support of our mission to preserve this beautiful property and educate the public about the South Florida environment. To see the full 2023 Annual Impact Report click below:
